Editor's note: Labor creates dreams, and struggle creates the future. A few days ago, Qiongzhong Li and Miao Autonomous County launched the 2023 "Top Ten Talents" award winning talent commendation activity. In Qiongzhong to speed up the construction of "one county, three cities and five places" and build Hainan Free Trade Port into a "green highland", there is such a group of outstanding talents, they (she) in their respective fields down-to-earth, upright and innovative, silent dedication, do a line, love a line, drill a line.
The new Hainan client and Nanhai Network specially planned and carried out a special series of reports on the "Top Ten Talents" in Qiongzhong Li and Miao Autonomous County in 2023 to show the advanced deeds of outstanding talents in Qiongzhong and carry forward the style of forging ahead.
Needles and threads shuttle in the cloth seams, a simple or complex pattern jumps out, and the Miao people are embroidered on the clothing through embroidery. Miao embroidery is not only exquisite, but also the embodiment of rich cultural elements such as historical mythology and folk customs.
Zhao Haijin, a craftsman from the South China Sea, a master of arts and crafts in Hainan Province, and a provincial intangible cultural heritage inheritor of Hainan Miao traditional embroidery batik skills, has been committed to inheriting and developing Miao traditional embroidery batik skills for 40 years, and driving the local exploration of the industrialization of Miao embroidery batik beauties. She has a wish to bring traditional embroidery batik works with Miao elements into people's daily life through her own efforts.
New Hainan client, Nanhai Net reporter Pan Di
Zhao Haijin makes Miao embroidery works in front of the craft workshop. Photo by reporter Pan Di
"Embroidery, embroidery, wax, dyeing" Inheritance and creation of "history books worn on the body"
The traditional embroidery batik technique of Hainan Miao nationality is one of the unique forms of expression in the history and culture of Miao nationality, and it is the crystallization of the industrious wisdom of Miao women. In terms of dye formula, production process, etc., it is different from the embroidery batik techniques in Sichuan, Guizhou, Hunan and other places, and the pattern forms are more diverse, and the lace treatment is more complex.
Novelty crafts in the Zhao Haijin Craft Workshop. Photo by reporter Pan Di
Smooth lines, delicate stitches, traditional embroidery methods, and innovative design ...... Walking into Zhao Haijin's craft workshop, you can see beautifully framed embroidery, backpacks with novel designs, and brightly colored headdresses everywhere...... Each piece is stunning. Growing up in Miao Township, Zhao Haijin has a deep affection for Miao traditional culture.
"Flowers, birds, fish and insects, mountains and rivers, everything in nature can become the starting point of Miao embroidery batik creativity." Zhao Haijin introduced that in Miao villages, after the girls were six years old, they had to start learning Miao embroidery one after another, starting with simple scarves to learn embroidery, and then slowly learning to embroider headscarves, clothes, and then learn batik.
Zhao Haijin learned embroidery from her grandmother at the age of 12, and in less than four years, she has basically mastered the process of embroidery batik skills. In her craft workshop, there are several framed Miao embroidered square scarves, she introduced, embroidered with fruit trees, safflowers, birds, fish, Hercules and other patterns, the front and back can not see the traces of the thread.
Novelty crafts in the Zhao Haijin Craft Workshop. Photo by reporter Pan Di
Batik is a time-consuming and labor-intensive job, and behind the seemingly simple batik pattern, thousands of years of cultural feelings have been inherited. Zhao Haijin still remembers that when his mother made batik when he was a child, he would watch and learn from the sidelines, and from time to time he would ask her to help.
With the diligent exploration of the roots of batik, Zhao Haijin created a unique set of painting techniques from tradition, and also made bold innovations in embroidery, patterns and colors, so that batik is no longer limited to clothing, but also has more potential. Batik wallet, batik hair ring, batik process diagram...... In the skillful hands of Zhao Haijin, this national characteristic skill has produced a higher artistic value.
"Miao embroidery colorful, vivid patterns, known as the wear on the body'wordless history book', Miao women in the process of embroidery, the daily life of what they see and hear and spiritual sustenance, are embroidered in the Miao embroidery works. In terms of embroidery techniques, I developed and innovated double-sided embroidery from the traditional single-sided embroidery, and improved the dyeing technique to make the dyed cloth color more intense and durable. Zhao Haijin said.
Give full play to the "pass on the band" to let the traditional embroidery and batik skills of the Miao people be passed on from generation to generation
"In the past, the clothes worn by the people in the village were basically dyed and embroidered by women, and if they didn't embroider, they would have no clothes to wear, so all the daughters of the Miao family would embroider." Zhao Haijin said that now that transportation is developed, many young people choose to go out to work, and gradually there are fewer and fewer people in the village who can embroider seedlings, and it is necessary to step up the protection and inheritance, especially to pass it on to the next generation.
In 2022, she established the Zhao Haijin Miao Embroidery Batik Craft Workshop to train people who like Miao embroidery through "skill training". In her craft workshop, you can also see bamboo baskets specially used to place embroidered cloth, which contain embroidery pieces that Zhao Haijin has recovered from training in various places.
Zhao Haijin shows the collection of embroidery pieces. Photo by reporter Pan Di
In the past three years, she has carried out more than 40 training courses on traditional embroidery and batik skills of the Miao nationality through various "passing on the band" activities, and patiently taught the students the production skills of Miao costumes. To Zhao Haijin's gratification, some students became interested in Miao embroidery after their first contact with Miao embroidery, and have been learning more complex double-sided embroidery with her.
In recent years, Zhao Haijin has participated in many exhibitions, such as the Cultural Fair and the Canton Fair, and has also brought his Miao embroidery works to the outside world many times. Although she has received countless praises for her Miao embroidery skills, she believes that Miao embroidery still has a long way to go before it can truly integrate into modern life.
"Many people were amazed when they saw our things, but they also felt that these clothes and headscarves with Miao elements were not suitable for daily wear." Zhao Haijin chose to subtract color and embroidery pattern design.
Throw away the leftovers, dig out the core elements of Miao embroidery culture, and design with one or two of the most representative colors, so that the whole work presents concise and clear characteristics, emphasizing the "blank", which is more in line with the aesthetic needs of the current market.
In Zhao Haijin's view, traditional Miao embroidery must keep pace with the times in order to be revitalized. Her idea is to revitalize and renew these old crafts of Miao embroidery, so that they are easy to match, use and preserve, better integrate into the current lifestyle, and obtain a longer vitality.
With the tourism resources of Qiongzhong out of the circle, the integrated development of culture and tourism has given Miao embroidery new vitality. Miao embroidery is not only a piece of exquisite artwork, but also the presentation of dripping sweat, "heavy industry" Miao embroidery has become the finishing touch of modern people OOTD, she always believes that as long as the efforts are made, Miao embroidery can be put on a bigger stage.
Zhao Haijin shows his letter of appointment. Photo by reporter Pan Di
Not long ago, Zhao Haijin received a new task to serve as an off-campus Miao embroidery tutor at the Siyuan Experimental School for Qiongzhong Nationalities. Although her home was far away from the school, she gladly accepted the invitation. "This teaching mission is to teach the traditional culture of the Miao people, and I feel that I am duty-bound, and I hope that the children can pass on the craftsmanship of the Miao ancestors." Zhao Haijin said emotionally.